Insulated rail-joint.



G.A.WEBER.

INSULATED RAILJOINT.

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PATENTED JULY 5, 1904.

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INSULATBD RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 25, 1904.

NO MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

PATBNTBD JULY 5,1904, v .WEBERI INSU D RAIL JOINT. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 4.

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"il A'I -r j in ini l GED RGE A. EBER W am fy y No. 764,169. PATENTED JULY 5, 1904.

l G. A. WEBER.

INSULATED RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1904.

NO MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

u L.' G-Ecmms AWEBER T0 all ruk/0111, t may concern.-

joints; and its objects are to secure a simple and eflicient insulated joint that is cheap to construct, but strong enough for a great many purposes-as, for instance, 1n use on sidings heavy.

plify the requisite insulation for preventing the electric continuity of the rails.

inafter appear; and to these ends the invention consists of a rail-joint for carrying out the above objects.v

joint embodying the invention.

lrails rest, and, secondly, those in which there plate of a rail-chair having an integral up- GEORGE A. WEBER, OF NEW YORK,

Patented July 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

N. Y., AssiGNoR To WEBER RAIL- l/VAY JOINT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

INSULATED vRAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,169, dated July 5, 1904.

Application filed March 25, 1904:.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. WEBER, a

This invention relates to insulated railor in places where the trafiic is not excessively Another object of the invention is to sim- Further objects of the invention will here- The invention is described and claimed in this specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of an insulated rail- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View. Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sectional views of rail-joints having modified forms of bolt-plates.

Railjoints, whether insulated or uninsulated, may be divided into substantially two broad classes: first, those in which there is a base-support or bridge-plate upon which the is no base-support other than the ties. Many modifications and subclasses may be found under each one of these broad divisions-as, for instance, joints with a base-support in which the support is aorded by the baseright extending from said chair. In joints in which the rail-chair is used the base forms a bridge beneath the rails, while the upright extending from the chair has the functions of Serial IIa-199,982. (No model.)

of continuous solid metallic straps or bars extending across the joint at each side of the same and outside of the filling-blocks B, of

suitable insulating material, preferably ofl wood. The filling-blocks may or may not be continuous, `in this instance they being shown continuous and extending across the joint. The function of the filling-blocks B is to maintain the bolt-plates or bars A out of contact with the rails and also to afford a packing or filling between the bars and the rails.

The rails C and D are shown resting upon the ties, and suitable means are provided for breaking the electric continuity of the rails. Preferably insulating end posts E are shown between the meeting y ends of the rails, although, if desired, an air-space may be left between the abutting faces of the rail ends, this being considered the full equivalent inthe art of end posts E. The end posts serve to maintain the rail ends from contact with each other,

-this function devolving upon the bolts when an air-space is left between the abutting faces of the rails.

The usual insulating bushings or sleeves F are provided for the bolts where they pass through the bolt-plates or bars A, while insulating-washers G are also provided to insulate the heads and nuts ofthe bolts from the boltplates. Preferably between the heads and ends of the bolts metallic washers H are arranged to prevent injury to the insulatingwashers G.

As shown, the insulating-blocks B are adapted to substantially fill the space along the Webs of the rails and between the under portions of the heads and the base-ianges, so that upon tightening up the nuts I the rail ends are held securely in surface and alinement. Preferably the filling-blocks B are of substantial thickness, thereby serving to maintain the bolt-plates or bars Aat a substantial distance from the rail-webs and adjacent the edges of the base-flanges J of the rails.

The bolt-plates A may be of any desired or convenient width, in this instance they being shown somewhat narrower than the height of the filling-blocks B, bolt-plates of substantially this height having been'found to afford the requisite strength for the joint.

It will be seen that the bolt-plates A in Fig. 3 are in the form of bars having upper and lower sides K outside of or beyond the under surfaces L of the bases of the rails in contradistinction to angle or rail chairs having horizontally-arranged base portions extending beneath the rails and upon which the rails rest. According to the present invention the bars A are true bolt-plates, since they have no connection with any portions of the joint except the bolts.

It will be found upon inspection of an insulated joint constructed substantially as described that it is not necessary to provide the insulating-bushings F and washers Gr for both ends of all of the bolts, and Linder certain conditions it is only necessary that the bolts passing through one of the rails be insulated to break the electric continuity of the rails.

In Fig. 4. the bolt-plate A is provided, as shown in Fig. 3, with suitable insulation; but at the other side of the joint an angle-iron S is arranged, having an uprightT and a flange yU turned outwardly or away from the joint in contradistinction to a construction in which the flange U would extend beneath the bases of the rails.

In Fig. 5 two angle-irons S are shown, one at each side of the joint, it being understood that the uprights T are continuous and extend across the joint, while the fianges U are provided with spiking-apertures. (Shown in dotted lines.) Suitable insulating-sleeves F and washers G are provided for the bolts. (Shown in Figs. 4 and 5.)

Obviously some features of this invention may be used without others, and the invention may be embodied in widely varying forms.

Therefore, without limiting the invention to the constructions shown and described nor enumerating equivalents, I claim, and desire to obtain by Letters Patent, the following:

l. An insulated rail-joint, comprising the rail ends, insulating filling-blocks arranged at each side of the rail-webs, metallic bolt-plates extending across the joint on the outside of the filling-blocks, said bolt-plates being wholly beyond the under portions of the base-flanges of the rails, in contradistinctionto beingprovided with portions extending underneath the bases of the rails, bolts for securing the parts of the joint together, and suitable insulation for breaking the electric continuity of the rails, for substantially the purposes set forth.

2. An insulated rail-joint, comprising two opposite bolt-plates extending across the joint and lying wholly beyond the'under portions of the base-fiangcs of the rails, in contradistinction to being provided with portions extending' underneath the bases of the rails, two insulating-blocks extending across the joint one on each-side of the rail ends and between them and the corresponding bolt-plate, a plurality of bolts extending through the boltplates, insulating-blocks and rail ends, insulating-bushings adapted to insulate every of said bolts passing through one of the rail ends from said bolt-plates, and means of maintaining the rail ends from contact with each other, for substantially the purposes set forth.

3. An insulated rail-joint, comprising two opposite bolt-plates extending across the joint and lying wholly beyond the under portions of the base-flanges of the rails, in contradistinction to being provided with portions extending underneath the bases of the rails, one or both of the bolt-plates being provided with an integral spike-plate extending away from the rail-flanges, two insulating-blocks extending across the joint one on each side of the rail ends and between them and the corresponding bolt-plate, a plurality of bolts extending through the bolt-plates, insulatingblocks and rail ends, insulating bushings adapted to insulate every of said bolts passing through one of the rail ends from said boltplates, and means for maintaining the rail ends from contact with each other, for substantially the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE A. WEBER. Witnesses:

A. L. OBRIEN, E. VAN ZANDT.

IOO 

